


Casual relationship

by salviohexia



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Implied Senkuu/Kohaku, M/M, Very small implied homophobia due to religion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 08:20:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30103011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salviohexia/pseuds/salviohexia
Summary: A casual relationship for mutual pleasure, as Senku had defined it, a relationship far from sentimental nonsense, beneficial to calm the desires of the body. Gen had accepted with a laugh, mocking that not even the cleverest of men was immune to such whims.He laughs. Without a doubt he was stupider than he thought. He knows that it is not worth complaining now, the terms of the verbal contract had been clear, he was the one who breached them.
Relationships: Asagiri Gen/Ishigami Senkuu, Asagiri Gen/Saionji Ukyou
Kudos: 30





	Casual relationship

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, this one is not beta'ed. 
> 
> I was in a certain mood while writing this, I think it shows. 
> 
> And just clarifying English is not my native language.

Gen takes hold of Senku's shoulders so as not to lose his balance, supporting himself, raising and lowering himself with his knees to receive him again. He repeats the action over and over until he is reduced to incomprehensible gasps and babbling. He squeezes his eyes, he does not want to meet the face in front of him, he does not even want to imagine the expression that the other puts on, he knows that if he sees it he will not be able to erase it from his memory.

“Gen, look at me,” Senku says. Gen may cry. The two of them have such intrinsically connected thoughts that there is no doubt that it is torture. Senku's hands squeeze his hips. “Mentalist, open your eyes.” Gen obeys, he cries.

Senku is very cruel; everywhere he shows the same facet, the mask of a cold and rational man who does not allow himself to be carried away by what he feels. With Gen, however, he behaves as he really is: selfish, sadistic, liar.

Selfish because he won't let him get away, he keeps him by his side without promising him anything, without even giving him something to hold on to. Sadistic because he knows perfectly what Gen feels, he notices it, analyzes it, enjoys it, he is an expert in making him suffer. Liar because Gen knows that deep down Senku wants the same thing as him.

He doesn't even want to imagine the show he's giving: tears streaming from his eyes, mingling with the trickle of saliva that trickles from his lips. An indecent and lewd sight.

Senku and Gen are looking into each other's eyes. He lets out a sob, half from the pleasure, half from the pain he feels in his chest. Senku is very cruel; he sometimes deliberately ignores him, arguing that he cannot afford to waste time, sometimes he watches him as if Gen is the center of the universe. It is a duality with which Gen finds it difficult to carry, it hurts him to be the object of such attention.

The grip on his hips tightens, Gen knows he will have marks in a few more hours. The crimson gaze on him is heavy, loaded with so much desire that it makes him forget how dirty he feels.

He shouts the name of his partner when he reaches the limit, because only that he can do, because only in him he thinks. Senku opens his mouth in a mute cry, filling his insides; if it was someone else, Gen would refuse, explaining that it is rude and a future nuisance, but this is Senku, and Gen accepts whatever he gives him.

Their breaths relax. They lie next to each other, facing up, neither being able to resist the eyes of the next one. Senku is very cruel; sometimes tiredness governs him and makes him sleep immediately, sometimes he gets up and leaves without saying a word, however, when he has the desire to torture, he hugs him tenderly.

Senku hugs him, draws him into his body. Gen allows himself to lean on Senku's chest, thinks about how especially wicked he wanted to behave that time while he fills his neck with kisses.

// & //

The flames of the campfire are warm and intense, rising to the sky in a pretentious attempt to touch it. Gen's cheeks are already flushed from the heat, but he refuses to retreat because of how comfortable he is.

“How do I look?” Suika asks once he announces that he finished braiding the flowers in her hair.

“Like a princess,” he replies. He wants to take a picture of her, a polaroid to be more precise. Suika dances happily in front of the fire, happy, playing with her puppy.

“You're very good with children,” Ukyo says. The archer looks at him with big, soulful eyes, he sees him as if Gen is special.

Smiling, Gen explains that he treats children as he would have liked to be treated. That raises a difficult subject, but Ukyo doesn't push, never does, instead gives him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

Chrome returns with three containers of wine, handing one to Ukyo, one to Gen, the third to himself. Gen takes a sip, enjoying the bitter taste of the drink in his mouth, holding back the slight burning in his throat as he swallows. He looks up at the sky, the atmosphere is so clear that it is possible to make out the Milky Way. His eyes are glassy, it's such a beautiful landscape, and he's so insignificant.

“Those two are ridiculous,” Chrome exclaims. Gen follows the eyes of the apprentice scientist to find out who he is talking about. On the other side of the fire, Kohaku and Senku chat quietly. His body tenses, he notices the serenity and closeness between them.

“As ridiculous as you and Ruri,” he mockingly replies. Chrome blushes, he laughs. Nobody notices that he wants to cry. Maybe just Ukyo, who can surely hear the irregular beat of his heart.

He finishes the rest of the wine in one gulp. He gets up explaining that he is tired, that he is retiring to sleep. He retires but not to his hut, nor to the observatory, he goes into the forest until he decides that it is enough distance.

A casual relationship for mutual pleasure, as Senku had defined it, a relationship far from sentimental nonsense, beneficial to calm the desires of the body. Gen had accepted with a laugh, mocking that not even the cleverest of men was immune to such whims.

He laughs. Without a doubt he was stupider than he thought. He knows that it is not worth complaining now, the terms of the verbal contract had been clear, he was the one who breached them. He hugs his knees, leans his back against the tree trunk, his past-self would be disappointed.

“It's not okay to do this, you can't stay that long in front of the campfire and then come here to freeze your ass off, you’ll get sick,” Ukyo reproaches as he gently places a blanket over him.

“Ukyo-chan always so attentive and chivalrous.” He slaps the ground indicating to Ukyo to sit with him, he obeys, Gen shares the warmth of the blanket.

“How did you know I was here?” he asks mostly to avoid silence.

“I heard you wandered further than necessary. You sounded sad.”

“Ukyo-chan, that's weird,” he exclaims in a shrill tone, “does that mean you're listening to my thoughts?”

“That's impossible, how could I? Emotions can be heard in a person's breathing, in their heart rate... Are you okay?”

He says nothing, because there is nothing to say. He rests his cheek on Ukyo's shoulder, who accepts the contact. The trees in that area do not have very dense crowns, they reveal little bits of the sky.

“‘The night is starry, / and the blue stars shiver in the distance.’”

// & //

The sun's rays are the same as ever, the bright light of an autumn morning, his surroundings are different. When he opens his eyes, the adjoining tatami is inhabited, Ukyo looks at him in that way so distinctive of his that it makes him feel butterflies in his stomach.

“Good morning,” he rasps. “Ukyo-chan, don't look at me like that.” He extends his arms towards the young man, as if he wants to push him, it rather seems that he wants to attract him instead. “I'm horrible in the mornings.”

“On the contrary,” Ukyo replies.

He makes a joke, it's the only way Gen avoids embarrassment, the way to disguise the blood rushing to his cheeks and his ears.

Suddenly they are so close, so close that Gen can count each of Ukyo's long, light lashes, so close that he can make out the soft freckles on his nose, so close that he can kiss him. But he doesn’t. He is not as cruel as Senku. Ukyo smiles at him. Gen regrets not kissing him.

They leave the hut together, ready to have breakfast with their friends, he tries not to sit near Senku, he cannot see him face to face, he feels stupidly ashamed, as if he had done something inappropriate, as if explanations were due.

The hours pass quickly, oblivious to the mundane problems of mortals. Or rather, the hours pass as usual, but mortals perceive them quickly because of their mundane problems.

Gen goes up to the observatory like every afternoon, with some tea to entertain. A lump forms in his throat when he meets Kohaku as well, she is sitting next to Senku, watching with admiration the way he draws his plans and diagrams. They weren't even talking, yet Gen feels he’s interrupting.

“Excuse me Kohaku-chan, I didn't know you would be here, we're going to need more tea.”

Kohaku stands up easily. Gen watches her: she's so pretty, so nice, so strong, so loyal, oh how he appreciates her. Oh, how she makes envy bloom inside his chest.

“Don't worry about me,” she assures with a smile, “I was just passing through.”

Passing through. To be passing through. The one passing through is someone else, Gen knows that well. He says goodbye to Kohaku, wishing her good luck in her training.

He goes back to the routine. He sits on the floor, sets the cups, and pours the tea into each one. For an instant he imagines that he is a geisha tending to her icy master.

“The tea is ready,” he announces. The master does not react. “Senku-chan, tea time.”

Senku stretches his arms in the air, adjusts his position to face Gen. The fantasy continues, he imagines that the scene happens in traditional Japan, he is a good geisha, he thinks, skilled in the art of conversation and entertainment.

“You slept with Ukyo last night.” Senku breaks the atmosphere, oblivious to the illusory world that Gen had created to keep his sanity.

“In his hut, yes,” he corrects.

“I see. You've been distant today,” Senku accuses after having half a cup of tea.

“Well, here I am now.”

They finish their drinks in silence. Gen wants to be a bad geisha and not be so aware of her master.

“What do you think of the future, Senku-chan?”

“Depends, the future of what?”

“Your life, of course,” our life together he wants to say, “beyond saving humanity and reaching the moon, of course.”

“I don't know. I haven't thought about it. Before being petrified I had planned what I wanted to do with my life. In the stone world it doesn't matter anymore.”

“I don't think so. There are basic concepts that do not change, yes, you may have to adjust them to your new reality, but they are still possible.”

“What do you want in the future, Mentalist?”

“To be happy.”

He's far from happy, he reasons as he holds Senku's head between his legs with both hands. He sighs loudly, pushing his hips to reach further, Senku uses his arms to hold him in position.

Turns out he is not a geisha, nor is he an oiran. He probably does not even reach the category of prostitute. Geishas were professional artists, oiran were respected courtesans, whores charged for their work. He? He gives everything for nothing.

Senku laughs maliciously at his moans asking him to stop, mocking his pleas not to make him finish so soon. Senku takes pity on him.

Senku makes him get on all fours, he works on him slowly, he murmurs obscene words in his ear, explaining that no one will be able to possess him in the same way that he does. For better or for worse, Gen knows Senku is right.

The oscillating movement begins, Gen bites his lower lip to keep from screaming. He hates doing that in the observatory, since he always ends up with sore forearms and knees, but he hates the idea of refusing Senku more, so he endures.

Like everything they do together, they swing to a perfectly coordinated rhythm, with a hint of desperation on the act.

When they regain their composure, Gen places the tea set on the tray, says he will see him for dinner time, and asks him no to be late. Senku is turning his back on him, giving him the courage to speak up:

“I don't want to do this anymore, Senku-chan.”

// & //

“Through nights like this one I held her in my arms. / I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.”

// & //

Naturally, things are not the same between them. Both keep it professional on a day-to-day basis, they work as usual, they continue to plan ideas together, they collaborate side by side. But they no longer speak. There is no afternoon tea anymore, no inside jokes, no cola, no one asking anyone to go to bed early. They sleep in the same hut, yes, each one with such different schedules that they don't have to see each other's faces.

He's fine with it, really. Better to cut to the chase when it’s still early. But was it early? Because of the physical pain caused by a breakdown of a relationship that never was... he doubts it. It's late. It wouldn't have mattered when, it would always have been late. Gen is sure he belongs to Senku since the day he heard about him, since he saw that date mark on the tree.

Again, a huge campfire lights up the night. He now doesn't braid flowers in Suika's hair, but he does do a little trick for Kohaku.

“Impossible!” Exclaims the warrior. “I'm sure it was under that glass.”

Gen laughs. He shows the inside of the three cups, there is nothing.

“You must not let yourself be guided only by your physical senses,” he says mysteriously, “where do you sense that it is?”

Kohaku makes a face, pondering what to reply.

“Hidden in your sleeves,” she says. Gen rolls up the sleeves of the purple haori. There is no token. Kohaku puts her hands on her chin. “It has to be in your clothes.”

“Sure?”

“Yes, I don't see any other way.”

“Dear Kohaku-chan,” he sighs exaggeratedly, “the token has always been here,” he says, picking up the glass she selected the first time.

Kohaku screams desperately, grabs the wooden token and the ceramic glass.

“This has to be real sorcery.” Next to her, between grumbles, Chrome says it isn't, that they're illusions, clearly annoyed that he hadn't guessed them either. The young woman stands up. “Senku! You have to explain this to me.”

She interrupts the scientist's conversation with the old craftsman, the rest of the group glances at Gen. It is not the first time that someone from the Ishigami village has asked Senku about how they were fooled by the mentalist, but it may be the first time Senku answered instead of maintaining the mysticism, pretending that he hadn't paid attention to the trick and couldn't explain it. He doesn't want to witness that.

“My legs are numb, I'll go for a walk, will you come with me?” Gen agrees, grateful that Ukyo is so kind.

The moon is a quarter of its capacity, but it shines so brightly that it is enough to outline the way. Gen looks at the silver celestial body suspiciously, who could be like that, he longs for the ability to radiate so much light despite being incomplete.

“The moon does not radiate its own light, it reflects sunlight,” he corrects himself aloud.

They walk along the river, following the same direction as the current. The water is so crystal clear that it is possible to distinguish the stones, plants and fish inside it.

“It's the brightest star of the night,” Ukyo argues.

“The moon is an opportunist one, don't you think? Always hoarding men's illusions, it flirts with artists and scientists alike; it hypnotizes every being that dares to contemplate it. All this with a light that does not even belong to it. I wish I was like _her_.”

“You fit perfectly with the description you gave, but there is an important factor that you are not taking into account. The perspective. If an individual in France looks up at the sky, they will be blinded by the sunlight at its peak. On the other hand, if the same person could look at the sky in Japan at the same time, they could enjoy the moonlight.”

“Ukyo-chan, you are mixing concepts. The sun and the moon are two completely different entities. Yes, linked like everything in the universe, but they are not the same.”

Ukyo laughs softly.

“You're right, I completely confused the idea. What I'm trying to tell you is that some people may see you as the moon, but for others you are the sun.”

Gen's blush lasts the rest of the walk.

// & //

“Are you and Senku quarreling?” Yuzuriha asks.

“Why do you say that?”

Yuzuriha hugs herself, her eyes denoting concern.

“Lately I've noticed him very apathetic, it's not normal for him.”

“It's just a whim, Yuzuriha-chan, you'll see that it soon passes. He is in good hands after all.”

// & //

Ukyo is very gentle. He looks at him like he's a marvel, caresses him reverently and kisses him devoutly.

He covers his mouth with his hand to catch his moans. Ukyo is on top of him, carrying his legs one on each shoulder. The position allows the connection between the two to be deep. He feels complete.

Ukyo is very gentle. He kisses him good morning, good night, asks how his day was, he intertwines their fingers when they go for a walk.

It is bad taste to compare your partners, especially during the action, Gen feels vulgar for doing it, but it is inevitable. Ukyo's experience is remarkable, tangible, the way he kisses him, how he touches him, the accuracy and speed with which he finds his best spots.

“Ukyo-chan,” he gasps, he doesn't have to verbally express what he wants to get it. Ukyo kisses his forehead before picking up the pace. The kiss itself is more intimate than the entire act.

Gen opens his eyes, wants to fill his vision with him. The look he receives is deep, charged with a feeling that he does not believe he deserves to receive. He doesn't know what to do besides kissing him. Ukyo is very gentle, he adjusts his right hand to intertwine his fingers with Gen's.

The tension in his belly increases, he is no longer silencing his moans, in fact, he does not know how loudly he is expressing himself, he worries that someone will discover them, just to remember that nothing would happen, no one expects nothing of the two of them. That is certainly liberating. He releases his mind and body in unison, a few tears blurring his lashes. Ukyo babbles, he couldn't pronounce anything but Gen's name as a prayer.

Gen hugs Ukyo to his chest, because Ukyo is very gentle, he deserves no less than that. He is not cruel, nor is he gentle, he is a selfish, delusional, superficial, weak being. Happiness is not easily achieved, it is a winding and endless path in life, it is not a perennial state either, it only remains to appreciate it when it arrives and not to be defeated when we believe that it's leaving. He tightens the hug. Of all his desires, being happy is the most human and least selfish of them.

// & //

He pretends that he doesn't know when was the last time they were alone in the room, in their hut, at night. Gen changes his daytime fashion to nighttime, softer and more pleasant to the touch; Yuzuriha is a blessing.

“I thought you didn't live here anymore,” Senku says, he's also taking off his tunic from the day, it's dirty, it smells like rust. Before, Gen would know why, having been by his side all day, he now only wishes there had been no accidents.

“Same here, I thought you moved to the observatory.”

“You gave it to me, I can do whatever I want with it,” Gen laughs nervously, but laughs. True, he had gone so far as to do something like that. “Are you planning to officially live with him?” Senku asks, avoiding seeing Gen's face to make his tone of disinterest convincing.

“How can you say something like that, Senku-chan? I'm a decent boy, they'll take me out of the house dressed in white for my wedding day.”

“Right.”

The two laugh out loud, while laughing it is as if nothing had happened, as if everything was fine between them. They lie down on their respective tatami, looking up at the ceiling. The room is dark, there is no moon in the sky, the stars are not enough to illuminate.

“Senku-chan, do you know that female anatomy is different from male?”

“Obviously.”

“And how are you doing?”

“I'm not doing anything, she is a decent girl, she will leave her house dressed in white for her wedding day.”

“Yeah.” No one laughs this time.

“You make conclusions very soon,” Senku says.

“You are still a child, Senku-chan, you may have intelligence but you lack wisdom.”

“You're right, because three more years make you a lot more mature and wiser than me.” Senku is angry and doesn't try to hide it.

“I've had more social experiences than you, I assure you.” Gen smiles condescendingly in the dark. “Sometimes you just know. I'm not the type to wait for his lover to fulfill his promise to leave his wife. That does not happen.”

“As far as I know I don't have a wife.”

“You didn't promise me anything either.”

An icy breeze blows through the window, the inhabitants of the hut are so comfortable under the covers that they do not notice it.

“The same night whitening the same trees. / We, of that time, are no longer the same.”

// & //

The first snow brings joy to the Ishigami village, especially the children. Suika and Chrome fight a tough snowball war against Kohaku. Gen watches from off the battlefield, amused by Chrome's screams. A figure stands next to him, Ukyo takes his hand.

“Your hands are cold, Ukyo-chan,” he complains, interlocking his fingers and tightening his grip. Ukyo kisses his cheek. On the other side of the fighting field is Senku, watching them. If Ukyo was marking territory or being his gentle person, Gen doesn't know, he doesn't analyze it.

Senku allows that day to be of rest, he urges villagers and contemporaries to relax. It brings the same feeling as a holiday after a long working day.

Ukyo, Nikki, and Tsukasa reminisce about the sports tournaments they participated in as students. Gen listens, he doesn't have much to contribute to the issue at hand, he entertains himself with the mental image of a gallant Ukyo in his kyudo suit. A few meters from the group, Senku teaches Kohaku, Chrome, and Suika how to make an igloo; the atmosphere between them is energetic and fun, they move the snow from one place to another, they laugh, they make friendly jokes with each other.

The idea that he had been faking it takes hold of him. Three more years of social experiences, he told Senku, yes, social experiences of what kind, the question remains in the air. Gen has never been able to relate in such a vibrant and natural way as he has seen Senku make friends and allies. He is lost observing the nose and cheeks red from the cold. No no no. That is neither correct nor healthy. He leans on Ukyo's shoulder, who wraps an arm around his waist as he continues to chat.

“You weren't in any club during high school?” Nikki asks.

“I've always been very busy with my shows,” Gen admits. “But in the second year I joined the chess club, I wanted to find out if I could read my opponent to anticipate their moves.”

“How far did you get with that method?” Tsukasa asks.

“Finals of the Prefecture Interscholastic. The brainiac I competed with last seemed desperate, and I was already bored.”

He always ends up getting bored. He hopes he doesn't get bored with Ukyo, he wonders why he didn't get bored with Senku.

At nightfall, after dinner, he doesn't spend time pretending that he wants to sleep alone, the temperature is below zero degrees Celsius, it is normal to want to warm up. Ukyo smiles, he calls him witty; however he devours him when they are alone.

They are indifferent to the inclement night weather. The archer sits on the mat, arranging Gen so that he straddles him. They embrace vigorously, their bodies swaying impatiently. Gen is like in a trance, abandoned to pleasure, it doesn't cross his mind that Ukyo is being tougher that night.

// & //

“Another’s. She will be another’s. As she was before my kisses. / Her voice, her bright body. Her infinite eyes.”

// & //

Telling her to call him if she needs anything else, he says goodbye to Ruri. He hums as he walks, all day he has been in a good mood, he considers it fair to have a streak of peace after the roller coaster of emotions of the previous days. Karma, he supposes.

He greets people as he passes them by: he smiles at an elderly couple, laughs at the children arguing, nods when he sees Magma, looks with amusement at Kinro scolding Ginro.

He spots Chrome and Kaseki in the distance, working. It is best to be helpful. The igloo built during the first snowfall remains in perfect condition, due to the constant low temperatures and the solidity of the building; he hears some noises inside, he imagines it is Suika or another group of children playing there, before work, he decides that a little mischief does not hurt, ready to scare those who take refuge in the snow house.

He leans out, ready to prank, only to run into a scene that would never have occurred to him. Senku is inside with an annoyed expression on his face, Kohaku is next to him, laughing animatedly. The girl chooses the moment when Gen leans out to kiss Senku on the cheek.

“Excuse me,” he says, he doesn't know if they noticed him.

He begins to walk towards the forest, first at a normal pace, gradually increasing his speed until he is running.

A kiss on the cheek doesn't prove anything. A kiss on the cheek is given by mom to tell you that she loves you, a kiss on the cheek is given by dad for your achievements, a kiss on the cheek is given by your grandparents because they missed you, a kiss on the cheek is given by your friends for your birthday. A kiss on the cheek doesn't prove anything, it is the most delicate expression of affection that exists. At least that's the case for ordinary people, not for Senku. Senku, always careful about his personal space, had received the gesture so calmly, it was not even a special day that deserved it, it had been spontaneous, domestic.

He knows, he has known for a long time that their relationship is inevitable, so he stepped aside. At first Senku pretended not to understand why, but he didn't do anything to get him back either. Probably because he also knows what will happen in the future.

Why does he run then? Why does he think of going away? Because he's an idiot, a boastful idiot who thought himself tougher than he really is. He believed that by moving away from Senku, seeing him mature at a safe distance, everything would be fine, that he would not feel anything. Because he is an idiot.

That kiss on the cheek is just the beginning of many things, things that he is not willing to witness. He does not see clearly, his eyes are blurred with tears. He is not the sun, he is not the moon, he is not a geisha, he is not an oiran, he is not a whore. Unfortunately he is himself. Hopefully Ukyo will forgive him, because he loves him so much, because he knows that he has a future with him; Ukyo is very gentle. Gen is not gentle, he is not cruel, he is an insecurity with a human body, a materialized disaster. He cries. He doesn't deserve to be in a group with such kind and sincere people.

He does not know where he is running, his goal is to escape. He does not see that he is near an elevation, he does not see that he is near the river. He does not see the branches or stones that make him stumble. The icy water takes his breath away, the cold sinks to his bones, it's as if he had a thousand needles pressing against his skin, worse still, against his lungs. Someone yells his name. Gen loses consciousness.

// & //

He opens his eyes. He doesn't know where he is. The world is spinning.

“What are you saying? How can you not recognize his condition?”

“Because I'm not a doctor! I know there is no water in his lungs, but I cannot determine how serious the situation is.”

“Sure, now it turns out you don't know the sound of healthy breathing.”

“Of course I know. Just as we know that Gen is not healthy, but to what extent. If according to you you are a genius you should know what to do.”

“I want there to be as few variables as possible to proceed!”

“Enough, enough, enough. Go out there if you want to fight, your yelling doesn't help at all.”

There is a lot of light, a lot of noise. He closes his eyes.

He opens his eyes. It is dark. A pair of warm hands holds him lovingly. He closes his eyes.

He opens his eyes. He hears voices. He recognizes Suika and old Kaseki. The craftsman encourages the girl to speak, saying that Gen would find it very helpful if he hears her talk. Suika speaks, tells in detail the activities carried out during the day, Gen does not understand anything, but the little girl's voice is enough to make him feel better.

“Thank you, Suika-chan,” he says, interrupting the girl. He doesn't want to be rude to her, but he's so sleepy. He closes his eyes.

He opens his eyes, it is night. Someone is kissing the back of his hand, they kiss him so many kisses that Gen feels like a saint who is being asked for a miracle. That someone cries. Gen wants to console them, but fatigue overcomes him. He closes his eyes.

He opens his eyes. He sees the silhouettes of Chrome and Ruri blurry.

“I know you're tired, Gen, but you have to eat something, I'll help you,” Ruri says, carrying a bowl in her hands.

Chrome helps keep him straightened, Ruri feeds him, they both give him words of encouragement and are very friendly. Gen knows that they will become great parents one day.

He finishes eating. He asks how long he has been in bed, he asks who realized that he had suffered an accident. By the time he finishes listening to the explanation, drowsiness invades him. He closes his eyes.

His body has regained enough energy to be able to dream again. Nightmares caused by fever are present.

He's on his show, ten minutes from starting. He turns to see his guests: Tsukasa, Kohaku, an undefined shadow. He smiles, the program will come out amazing. The audience applauds, Gen receives the signal that the transmission has begun. He introduces himself, his guests, thanks those who watch on television for tuning in to the channel.

“Let's get down to business. It's time to meet the participants. Tsukasa, what is your biggest fear?”

“Despicable and greedy adults,” explains the Strongest Primate in High School.

“They make me shiver with fear. Kohaku, what about you?”

“Not having my weapons at hand!” The warrior explains.

“Completely understandable,” Gen replies, the swords embedded in his chest gleaming in the light from the set. “And you my dearest?”

“To be like you,” the shadow replies.

“I won't sleep tonight. We are having so much fun, but we must go to some commercials. We'll be back!”

The show is going great, but he needs fresh air. He starts running, he runs free through the field, he has not visited the country for years, but he still knows the trails by heart. He pedals the bike, enjoys the breeze on his face.

“You're going to be late again,” Ukyo reproaches, deftly driving a tubular vehicle.

“Where?”

“To mass.”

Mass, it's true, his mother kills him if he doesn't attend. It is, after all, the only way to correct him. The church is empty, he is late. He's walking down the main corridor, searching, he needs to explain.

“You won't find what you want here, remember our place.” The earth splits in two, he and Senku fall precipitously. Senku laughs.

“Gen, I'm scared.”

Gen hugs Suika, picks her up.

“What are you afraid of?”

“The rain.”

Through the window he can see the water flooding the city. Ukyo hugs them both. Senku whispers in his ear that everything will be fine.

Chrome takes him by the hand, urges him not to get behind. A crowd chases them. They arrive at the riverbank, a wooden raft awaits. Gen gets on the raft, Chrome pushes it so that it floats freely in the water.

“Follow the whole river down until you see Tokyo Tower, then it will be safe to go down.”

“Senku-chan, aren't you coming?”

“No, I must stay here just in case.”

Ukyo begins to row. Gen leans on the shadow's shoulder and cries.

He cries because Senku experiments with his heart, Ukyo observes everything by his side, helping with the procedure when the scientist requires it. The shadow hugs him, tells him it's time.

This time when he opens his eyes, he feels better, stronger, energetic. He also knows, when he opens his eyes, that he cannot waste time. He must find him and tell him. He has to clarify things between them.

// & //

Gen holds him by the face and kisses him, he can't stop kissing him. He lays back on the ground taking his companion on top of him, arching his back at the sensation of the kiss on his neck that he is receiving. The caresses do not take long to be present, the kisses are only interrupted to gasp or take off their clothes. Gen yells his name when he receives him inside. He apologizes for being that way, but he is so happy that he cannot contain the tears that roll down his cheeks. His partner wipes his face, whispering words of adoration.

Indeed, he is happy. It is impossible to elucidate whether his decision will lead him down the right path or not, no one can guess their own future. The only concrete thing, the only thing that matters, is how happy and full he feels now, next to him.

// & //

I no longer love her, that’s certain, but maybe I love her.  
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.  
Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms  
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.  
Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer,  
and these the last verses that I write for her.

—Pablo Neruda

**Fin**

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> If I’m being honest, I think this works as an open ending so reader can decide if Gen stayed with Senku or Ukyo according to their liking, but my friend, who helped me to beta the Spanish version, told me it was obvious that Gen stayed with “el tóxico” (Spanish slang term for “bad boyfriend” lol), but really, you have the last word on this, so let me know what you think 😌


End file.
